System and method of electronic data transaction processing

ABSTRACT

A transaction process system ( 10 ) provides for data transactions between parties. In a credit card transaction, the parties are the merchant ( 20 ), acquiring bank ( 24 ), card association ( 34 ), issuing bank ( 14 ), and cardholder ( 12 ). A transaction processing center ( 30 ) is positioned between the acquiring bank and the card association. The transaction processing center provides data processing channels for message-based processing ( 72 ) and filed-based processing ( 76 ). The file-based processing uses an incoming queue ( 80 ) and outgoing queue ( 84 ) to simplify the interface. The transaction processing center also provides for currency conversions and account reconciliation on a per transaction basis. The transaction processing center uses a scheduler ( 160 ) to efficiently manage the data processing resources.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

The present patent application is related to copending U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 10/370,677, entitled “Method of Scheduling andEvent Processing in Computer Operating System” and filed concurrentlyherewith by W. Jeffrey Knowles et al. The present patent application isfurther related to copending U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/370,681, entitled “System and Method of Currency Conversion inFinancial Transaction Process” and filed concurrently herewith by W.Jeffrey Knowles et al. The present patent application is further relatedto copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/370,673, entitled“System and Method of Transferring Data Through Transaction Process” andfiled concurrently herewith by W. Jeffrey Knowles et al.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates, in general, to data transactionprocessing and, more particularly, to system and method ofelectronically processing data transactions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

An integral part of many financial transactions involves purchase ofgoods and services by credit card or other electronic transfer of funds.Consumers use credit cards to purchase goods and services from merchantsand service providers. Businesses and government agencies use electronicfund transfers to acquire goods and services and issue credit cards toemployees as necessary to conduct business. Credit cards are aconvenient, safe, effective, and integral part of the economy.

There are typically three financial institutions involved in credit cardtransactions: card association, issuing bank, and acquiring bank. Wellknown card associations operate under the names of Visa and MasterCard.The issuing bank issues a credit card to a cardholder. The credit cardwill include a credit line that will impose certain limits on thecardholder's ability to make purchases. The cardholder agrees to pay theamount due on the credit card statement, or minimum portion thereof withinterest on the balance, to the issuing bank. The merchant has anaccount or relationship with the acquiring bank to initiate credit cardtransactions and ultimately receive payment for the transaction. Thecard association operates between the acquiring bank and issuing bank tocoordinate and simplify the large number of transactions occurring on adaily basis.

A credit card transaction usually starts at the point of sale where thecardholder has selected merchandise or service which he or she wishes topurchase. The merchant or service provider enters the credit card numberby swiping the card through a terminal to read information stored on themagnetic strip or enters the credit card number directly into theterminal keypad. The terminal is connected to a communication networkwhich electronically links the merchant to the acquiring bank orprocessing center. The acquiring bank is electronically linked to thecard association and the card association is electronically linked tothe issuing bank.

Most credit card transactions are a two-part process. In the first part,while the cardholder is interacting with the merchant at the point ofsale, a purchase authorization request is forwarded via an electroniccommunication network through the acquiring bank and card association tothe issuing bank. The purchase authorization includes the merchantidentification, amount of the purchase, and cardholder information. Thecardholder information may include name, address, primary accountnumber, PIN number, fraud protection data, etc. The purchaseauthorization checks with the issuing bank to see that the cardholder isin good-standing with the bank, that the purchase is within his or herapproved credit limit, and that there are no other irregularities. Theissuing bank approves the transaction for the requested amount androutes the approval back through the card association and acquiring bankto the merchant. Even though no money changes hands, the cardholder andmerchant complete their interaction. The cardholder leaves the storewith the merchandise in hand and the merchant receives assurance thatthe money will be paid.

In the second part of the process, an aggregation of the individualpurchase authorizations is processed through the credit card system tofund authorized transactions in a process known as clearing andsettlement. During clearing and settlement, monies are transferredbetween accounts to complete specific pre-approved transactions.Transferring money, sometimes in different currencies, can be a timeconsuming, expensive, and error prone process. The aggregation ofpurchases and payment of net proceeds to the parties during clearing andsettlement is a more efficient and cost effective alternative toexchanging money during each transaction. Clearing and settlement mayoccur at the end of the day, or at regular intervals during the day, orevery few days depending on the volume of transactions and needs of theparties. However, the acquiring and issuing banks often do not have theresolution of the individual transactions to resolve discrepancies whenreconciling the aggregation of transactions. If unable to balance theclearing and settlement, the banks are often forced to absorb thediscrepancies based on the allocation of risk and may end up loosingmoney on certain transactions as part of the cost of doing business.

A principal function of the card association is to act as a fundingclearing house for the clearing and settlement process. An issuing bankmay need to pay monies to a large number of acquiring banks and anacquiring bank may expect to receiving monies from a large number ofissuing banks. By operating through the card association, the issuingbank makes one wire transfer to the card association to make payments tospecific acquiring banks. Likewise, the acquiring bank receives one wiretransfer from the card association to settle transactions for specificissuing banks. The card association receives funds and allocates fundsto its individual members in order to clear and settle pending andapproved credit card transactions.

If the acquiring bank and issuing bank are based in different countriesand operate with different native currencies, then the transfer of fundsoften requires one or more currency conversions. The acquiring bankgenerally leaves the currency conversions to the card association but indoing so the acquiring bank looses control and any benefit theconversion might yield to itself and to its customer, the merchant. Inthe present competitive marketplace, giving up control of currencyconversions involved in credit card transactions can be harmful to one'smarket share and profit margins. The customers of the acquiring bank(merchants) will demand the best rates and service or they will switchto someone who can deliver.

In actual business practice, there can be variations and exceptions tothe above described process. For example, the acquiring bank and theissuing bank may be one in the same and card association may be left outof the transaction processes. Moreover, the acquiring bank and issuingbank often contract out one or more of the above support functions tothird party processors or service providers. The processors operate andfunction on behalf of the bank to complete the transaction for themerchant and cardholder. The third party processors bring hardware andsoftware expertise that can help the acquiring bank and issuing bankoperate more efficiently, with lower costs, and fewer errors.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic data transaction processingsystem;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the transaction processing center of FIG.1;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the operation of the transactionprocessing center;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating the data processing with theincoming queue and outgoing queue;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the operation of data processing function inFIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the plurality of currencies used by thetransaction processing center;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the operation of the currency conversions ofFIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of the scheduler and event processor for thetransaction processing center; and

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of the operation of the scheduler and eventprocessor.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A transaction processing system 10 is shown in FIG. 1. Transactionprocessing system 10 is applicable to many types of electronictransactions, including financial, reservations, and any othertransaction involving the transfer of data. In the present discussion,transaction processing system 10 will be described in terms of a creditcard transaction between a cardholder and a merchant and will includethe financial institution(s) operating between these parties.

Transaction processing system 10 is used in many financial transactionsinvolving purchase of goods and services by credit card or otherelectronic transfer of funds. Consumers use credit cards to purchasegoods and services from merchants and service providers. Businesses andgovernment agencies use electronic fund transfers to acquire goods andservices and issue credit cards to employees as necessary to conductbusiness.

Transaction processing system 10 is a computer-based communication andtransaction processing network with electronic links between parts ofthe system. Each of the communication links described herein can bedirect hard-wired lines, leased high bandwidth lines, telephone lines,fiber optic cable, wireless, satellite, or the like.

Transaction processing system 10 includes a relationship betweencardholder 12 and issuing bank 14. Cardholder 12 can be an individual,corporation, or other legal entity that establishes a line of creditwith issuing bank 14 based on their credit rating and credit risk.Issuing bank 14 issues a credit card or other credit instrument tocardholder 12. Cardholder 12 has the ability to purchase goods andservices and otherwise pay debts using the credit card, within thelimits imposed by issuing bank 14. Issuing bank 14 assumesresponsibility to make good on any charge or debt properly incurred bycardholder 12 within established credit limits. Cardholder 12 agrees topay the amount due on the credit card statement, or minimum portionthereof with interest on the balance, to issuing bank 14.

With credit card in hand, cardholder 12 can conduct business and makepurchases with most business entities. For example, cardholder 12 canenter the place of business of merchant 20 and purchase goods orservices with the credit card. Alternately, cardholder 12 may makepurchases over the telephone or on-line via merchant 20's internetwebsite. FIG. 1 illustrates the interactive commercial relationshipbetween cardholder 12 and merchant 20 by link 22.

Cardholder 12 makes his or her purchase selection(s) and provides thecredit card to merchant 20. Merchant 20 swipes the credit card through aterminal to read the information stored on the magnetic strip, or entersthe credit card number into the terminal keypad, or calls-in the creditcard number by telephone into a processing center. The merchant'sterminal is connected to acquiring bank 24 by electronic communicationlink 26.

Merchant 20 has an account or relationship with acquiring bank 24. Atransaction between cardholder 12 and merchant 20 involves thetransmission of data from merchant 20 to acquiring bank 24 by way ofcommunication link 26. The transaction data includes (1) identificationand other information related to cardholder 12 as read from the magneticstrip on the back of the credit card, (2) identification and otherinformation related to merchant 20, and (3) the amount of the purchaseor transaction. The cardholder information may include name, address,primary account number, PIN number, fraud protection data, etc. Thetransmission of data is encrypted to prevent fraud and unauthorizedaccess to sensitive and confidential information related to cardholder12 and merchant 20.

Acquiring bank 24 processes the transaction by making a record in itscomputer database, and possibly re-formatting the data or addingadditional information according to its own procedures. Acquiring bank24 may use a third party processor for some or all of its transactionprocessing functions. In the present example, the transaction is routedto transaction processing center 30 over communication link 32. In otherapplications, merchant 20 may have a direct relationship withtransaction processing center 30 as shown by communication link 28.

Transaction processing center 30 is a third party service provider thatacts for or on behalf of acquiring bank 24 or merchant 20 as aninterface to credit card association 34. The role and function oftransaction processing center 30 will be further discussed below.Transaction processing center 30 processes the transaction and routesthe processed transaction over communication link 36 to card association34. Card association 34 includes well-known institutions identified bynames such as Visa and MasterCard. Card association 34 operates betweenacquiring bank 24 and issuing bank 14 to coordinate and simplify thelarge number of credit card transactions occurring on a daily basis.

Card association 34 routes the transaction to issuing bank 14 overcommunication link 40. FIG. 1 assumes that the similar activities andoperation of a transaction processing center like 30 are incorporatedwithin issuing bank 14. In an alternate embodiment, a third partytransaction processing center can be positioned between issuing bank 14and card association 34 to provide some or all of the features describedfor transaction processing center 30.

Issuing bank 14 has primary authority and assumes the principal risk ofapproving and settling the transaction. Issuing bank 14 processes thetransaction and routes the response back through communication link 40to card association 34. Card association 34 routes the response fromissuing bank 14 back through communication link 36 to transactionprocessing center 30, which in turn communicates the issuing bank'sresponse back to acquiring bank 24 by communication link 32. Merchant 20receives the issuing bank's response to the transaction from acquiringbank 24 by communication link 26.

As mentioned, there are variations to the above process. By way ofexample, in certain situations and with certain arrangements,transaction processing center 30 may communicate directly with issuingbank 14 as shown by communication link 44. Transaction processing center30 may receive a transaction generated by merchant 20 and respond backto acquiring bank 24 by communication link 46 or directly back tomerchant 20 by communication link 28. In communicating directly withmerchant 20, transaction processing center 30 may assume part or all ofthe authority and have procedures in place to accept the risk andresponsibility for approving and processing the credit card transaction.In addition, third party service providers can operate at many pointsalong the transaction processing route. Nonetheless, even given theseand other variations on a central theme, in most cases, the basic creditcard transaction process remains as described above.

As an illustration of transaction processing system 10, assume creditcard transaction A is defined as cardholder 12 being an individual andcitizen from the United Kingdom (UK) traveling in the United States (US)on business and making a purchase from a merchant in a US city. Issuingbank 14 is a UK national bank and acquiring bank 24 is a US nationalbank. Transaction processing center 30 is a third party service providerwith communication links to acquiring bank 24 and card association 34 asdescribed above. Card association 34 sits between issuing bank 14 andtransaction processing center 30. Transaction processing center 30operates on behalf of acquiring bank 24 and merchant 20 as an interfaceto card association 34.

In credit card transaction A, cardholder 12 enters the place of businessof merchant 20 with credit card in hand to purchase goods or services.Cardholder 12 makes his or her purchase selection(s) and provides thecredit card to merchant 20. Merchant 20 swipes the credit card through aterminal to read the information stored on the magnetic strip. At thispoint in the process, where cardholder 12 is directly interacting withmerchant 20, the transaction is a purchase authorization request. Thepurchase authorization checks to see that the cardholder is ingood-standing with the bank, that the purchase is within his or herapproved credit limit, and that there are no other irregularities. Nomonies change hands or accounts between cardholder 12 and merchant 20 atthe point of sale. Instead, merchant 20 is simply requestingauthorization for the amount of the purchase. Often times, merchant 20does not know, understand, or even care who or what is approving theauthorization. Merchant 20 just wants the purchase authorization to comeback fast and be approved. The obligation and reputation of thefinancial entity identified on the credit card or other entity whoassumes the risk of the transaction gives merchant 20 confidence thatpayment is in fact forthcoming.

The purchase authorization request includes (1) identification and otherinformation related to cardholder 12 as read from the magnetic strip onthe back of the credit card, (2) identification and other informationrelated to merchant 20, and (3) the amount of the purchase ortransaction. The cardholder information may include name, address,primary account number, PIN number, fraud protection data, etc. Thepurchase authorization request is encrypted to prevent fraud andunauthorized access to sensitive and confidential information related tocardholder 12 and merchant 20.

The purchase authorization request is routed across communication link26 to acquiring bank 24. Acquiring bank 24 processes the request bymaking a record in its computer database, and possibly re-formatting theauthorization request or adding additional information according to itsown procedures. The purchase authorization request is routed totransaction processing center 30 over communication link 32. Transactionprocessing system 30 routes the purchase authorization request overcommunication link 36 to card association 34. Card association 34forwards the purchase authorization request to issuing bank 14 bycommunication link 40. Issuing bank 14 then approves or denies thepurchase authorization for the requested amount and routes the approvalor denial back through card association 34, transaction processingcenter 30, and acquiring bank 24 to merchant 20 in the reverse orderpreviously described. If the purchase authorization is approved,cardholder 12 and merchant 20 complete their transaction. Cardholder 12leaves the store with the merchandise and a record of the transactionand merchant 20 receives assurance that the money will be paid. If thepurchase authorization request is denied, cardholder 12 can offeranother form of payment or forego the purchase.

The authorizing institution is typically issuing bank 14, althoughacquiring bank 24 or transaction processing center 30 may assume thatrole in certain circumstances and under certain arrangements in which itchooses to bear the responsibility and risk of the credit cardtransaction. For example, transaction processing center 30 may responddirectly to the authorization request back to acquiring bank 24 overcommunication link 46. Acquiring bank 24 would then notify merchant 20.Alternately, the purchase authorization request from merchant 20 may godirectly to transaction processing center 30 by communication link 28for approval. Transaction processing center 30 would approve or deny thepurchase authorization request and send the approval or denial back tomerchant 20 over communication link 28.

Clearing and settlement is another type of transaction that can beprocessed through transaction processing system 10. The transfer andexchange of money, sometimes in different currencies, can be a timeconsuming, expensive, and error prone process. The aggregation ofpurchases and payment of net proceeds to the parties during clearing andsettlement is a more efficient and cost effective alternative toexchanging money for each transaction. Clearing and settlement may occurat the end of the day, or at regular intervals during the day, or onceevery few days depending on the volume of transactions and needs of theparties.

In clearing and settlement, monies actually exchange hands by electronictransfer between accounts to complete previously approved but as of yetunsettled transactions. A number of purchase authorization requests liketransaction A are approved throughout the day or other periods of timeas determined by merchant 20 or acquiring bank 24. During clearing andsettlement, an aggregation of the individual purchase requests isprocessed through transaction processing system 10 to fund previouslyapproved transactions.

Merchant 20 initiates a clearing and settlement transaction in manycases at the end of the business day. The clearing and settlementtransaction includes and represents specific credit card transactions,including transaction A, which have been approved and accrued since thelast clearing and settlement transaction. The clearing and settlementtransaction is routed from merchant 20 to acquiring bank 24 bycommunication link 26. If merchant 20 is a large institution, or ifmerchant 20 has special arrangements with acquiring bank 24, thenacquiring bank 24 may forward the single clearing and settlementtransaction for merchant 20 to transaction processing center 30.Alternatively, acquiring bank 24 may accumulate a number of clearing andsettlement transactions from smaller merchants before forwarding anaggregate clearing and settlement transaction to transaction processingcenter 30.

Transaction processing center 30 processes the clearing and settlementtransaction and forwards the processed transaction to card association34. Card association 34 accumulates clearing and settlement transactionsfrom a number of sources, e.g. other acquiring banks or othertransaction processing centers, which are intended for each issuingbank. The clearing and settlement transaction from merchant 20 intendedto clear and settle transaction A, along with other transactions frommerchant 20 and from other merchants and from other acquiring banks,each intended for issuing bank 14, are accumulated, sorted, processed,and routed to issuing bank 14 by card association 34.

Issuing bank 14 reviews the aggregate clearing and settlementtransaction from card association 34 and, if all is in order with thepre-approved authorization requests, executes a wire transfer of funds,or authorizes deduction from accounts established within cardassociation 34, for payment of the specific approved transactions madeduring the clearing and settlement period with merchants that havetransacted with cardholders using credit cards issued by issuing bank14. In other words, the funds paid by issuing bank 14 will be sufficientto cover payments which card association 34 must make to specificacquiring banks to cover monies due to merchants for authorizedpurchases made by cardholders using credit cards issued by issuing bank14. Issuing bank 14 sends credit card statements on a periodic basis,e.g. monthly, to its cardholders for the purchases made during theperiod as shown by link 48. Issuing bank 14 assumes the risk whether thecardholder will pay the bill. Issuing bank 14 earns its revenue fromfees and interest charges received from cardholders on any unpaidbalance due on the statements.

The issuing banks belonging to card association 34 make payment theretoto clear and settle specific pre-approved outstanding transactions. Cardassociation 34 then makes payments to specific acquiring banks with thefunds received from the issuing banks. One of those payments from cardassociation 34 will go through transaction processing center 30 toacquiring bank 24. Acquiring bank 24 then credits the account ofmerchant 20 for transaction A. That is, a portion of the payment made bycard association 34 to acquiring bank 24 by way of transactionprocessing center 30 will be used to pay merchant 20 for transaction A.

A principal function of card association 34 is to act as a fundingclearing house for clearing and settlement. Issuing bank 14 may need topay monies to a large number of acquiring banks, and acquiring bank 24may expect to receive monies from a large number of issuing banks. Byoperating through card association 34, issuing bank 14 makes one wiretransfer or authorization to debit its account to card association 34who in turn makes payments to specific acquiring banks. Likewise,acquiring bank 24 receives one wire transfer from card association 34 tosettlement transactions for specific issuing banks.

Yet another type of transaction that can be processed throughtransaction processing center 30 is a purchase authorization requestwhich automatically triggers clearing and settlement at the end of theday or other time interval without any further post authorizationtransaction. Transaction processing center 30 can be set up to keeptrack of each purchase authorization request, which will includeclearing and settlement data. At a predetermined interval, transactionprocessing center 30 will automatically generate a process to clear andsettle some or all of the outstanding purchase authorization requests.The automatic clearing and settlement can also be initiated in or bycard association 34.

The activities and operation of transaction processing center 30 willnow be discussed in further detail. As shown in FIG. 1, transactionprocessing center 30 is positioned between acquiring bank 24 and cardassociation 34. Transaction processing center 30 uses direct electroniccommunication links with acquiring bank 24 and card association 34, andin some applications directly with merchant 20 and issuing bank 14.Transaction processing center 30 can be a third party service provideras shown in FIG. 1 operating on behalf of and providing services foracquiring bank 24, or the activities and operation of transactionprocessing center 30 can be incorporated within acquiring bank 24 oreven merchant 20.

Transaction processing system 10 has been and will be described in termsof a credit card transaction for the purpose of illustration.Transaction processing system 10 is also applicable to any type oftransaction involving the transfer and processing of data. For example,transaction processing system 10 could be utilized in airline, hotel,rental car, and ticketing reservation systems. Transaction processingsystem 10 has applications in manufacturing and supply chain management.

Turning to FIG. 2, transaction processing center 30 is shown to includetwo data processing channels. A first data processing channel isintended for message-based transactions, such as purchase authorizationrequests and other messages where time and speed are of the essence.Authorization process 52, data storage device 54 and authorizationprocess 56 are shown as exemplary data processing functions in the firstdata processing channel. It is understood that other data processingfunctions could be implemented in the first data processing channel. Asecond data processing channel is intended for file-based transactions,such as clearing and settlement and reports. Post authorization process60, data storage device 54 and post authorization process 62 are shownas exemplary data processing functions in the second data processingchannel. It is understood that other data processing functions could beimplemented in the second data processing channel. The first and seconddata processing channels each provide a number of data processingfunctions, such currency conversions in any one of a plurality ofselectable currencies.

Transaction processing center 30 further includes data transfer process50 having a first portion and a second portion. A transaction or otherdata from acquiring bank 24 (or from merchant 20) is received oncommunication link 32 (or communication link 28) and processed throughthe first portion of data transfer process 50 labeled as 50 a. Datatransfer process 50 a separates message-based transactions, such aspurchase authorization requests, from file-based transactions, suchclearing and settlement and reports, for processing in their respectivedata processing channels through transaction processing center 30.

A transaction determined to be a purchase authorization request isrouted from data transfer process 50 a through a purchase authorizationchannel including authorization process 52, data storage device 54, andauthorization process 56. Authorization process 52 performs parsing andformatting of the purchase authorization request for local storage indata storage device 54. Authorization process 52 may also perform otherdata processing functions such as currency conversion, reporting, errorchecking, and other administrative functions on the purchaseauthorization request. The purchase authorization request is stored indata storage device 54 for reporting, account reconciliation, andgeneral record keeping and transaction visibility. Data storage device54 is a high capacity relational database utilizing a mass storagemedium such as a hard disk drive, optical drive, or the like. Thepurchase authorization request is then routed through authorizationprocess 56 where the request is formatted and any additional informationadded to the authorization request as necessary for transfer to cardassociation 34. The second portion of data transfer process 50 labeledas 50 b sends the properly formatted purchase authorization request tocard association 34 by way of communication link 36. Data transferprocess 50 b may send the properly formatted purchase authorizationrequest directly to issuing bank 14 by way of communication link 44.

The reverse process holds true for responses from issuing bank 14 to thepurchase authorization request. The response from issuing bank 14 isforwarded by card association 34 to transaction processing center 30. Atransaction determined to be a response to a purchase authorizationrequest is routed from data transfer process 50 b through the purchaseauthorization channel. Authorization process 56 performs parsing,formatting, currency conversion, reporting, error checking, and otheradministrative functions for the response to the purchase authorizationrequest prior to local storage in data storage device 54. The responseto the purchase authorization request is stored in data storage device54 for reporting, account reconciliation, and general record keeping andtransaction visibility. The response to the purchase authorizationrequest is then routed through authorization process 52 where therequest is formatted and any additional information added to theresponse for transfer to acquiring bank 24 or merchant 20. Data transferprocess 50 a sends the properly formatted response to the purchaseauthorization request to acquiring bank 24 or merchant 20.

The aforedescribed purchase authorization channel through transactionprocessing center 30 is a dedicated communication link that is alwaysopen and active to provide for fast processing of purchase authorizationrequests. In a practical, real-time system, the purchase authorizationrequest sent by merchant 20 must (1) traverse acquiring bank 24,transaction processing center 30, and card association 34 to issuingbank 14, (2) be approved or denied by issuing bank 14, and (3) be sentback through card association 34, transaction processing center 30, andacquiring bank 24 to merchant 20, all within a matter of seconds to meetthe expectations of cardholder 12 and merchant 20. If the purchaseauthorization request is perceived to be excessively time consuming,cardholder 12 and merchant 20 may become discouraged from using a creditcard for the purchase of goods and services. Thus, a quick purchaseauthorization request approval time is important to the success oftransaction processing system 10. If the authorization process takes toolong, cardholder 12 could become reluctant to using the convenience andsafety of a credit card. Merchant 20 could lose sales from buyers whoare inclined to make purchases with a credit card. The issuing bank andacquiring bank could lose interest and fees derived from each creditcard transaction.

As previously discussed, transaction processing center 30 also processesclearing and settlement transactions for acquiring bank 24 and merchant20. The clearing and settlement transaction is procedural different thanthe purchase authorization request and therefore is shown with its ownprocessing channel. Whereas the purchase authorization process is areal-time, message-based transaction with speed of the essence, theclearing and settlement transaction is typically a file-basedtransaction processed as a batch file of multiple transactions wheretime is not a critical factor.

Data transfer process 50 separates message-based transactions, such aspurchase authorization requests, from file-based transactions, suchclearing and settlement, for processing in their respective dataprocessing channels through transaction processing center 30. Datatransfer process 50 may examine different attributes or features todetermine whether a transaction is message-based or file-based. Forexample, message-based transactions have structural and formattingdifferences from file-based transaction. In other situations, the methodor mode of receipt of the transaction will indicate whether it ismessage-based or file-based.

A transaction determined by data transfer process 50 a to be a clearingand settlement process is routed through a file-based data processingchannel including post authorization process 60, data storage device 54,and post authorization process 62. Post authorization process 60performs parsing and formatting of the clearing and settlementtransaction for local storage in data storage device 54. Postauthorization process 60 may also perform other functions such ascurrency conversion, reporting, error checking, and other administrativefunctions on the clearing and settlement transaction. The clearing andsettlement transaction is stored in data storage device 54 forreporting, account reconciliation, and general record keeping andtransaction visibility. The clearing and settlement transaction is thenrouted through post authorization process 62 where the request isformatted and any additional information added to the transaction asnecessary for transfer to card association 34. Data transfer process 50b sends the properly formatted clearing and settlement transaction tocard association 34 by way of communication link 36. Data transferprocess 50 b may send the properly formatted clearing and settlementtransaction directly to issuing bank 14 by way of communication link 44.

The reverse process holds true for responses from issuing bank 14 to theclearing and settlement transaction. The response from issuing bank 14to the clearing and settlement transaction may be a wire transfer offunds or authorization for card association 34 to debit the issuingbank's account and forward funds to transaction processing center 30.The funds are in turn sent to acquiring bank 24 to credit the account ofmerchant 20 for purchases made by cardholder 12. Any transactiondetermined by data transfer process 50 b to be a response to a clearingand settlement transaction is routed from data transfer process 50 b topost authorization process 62. Post authorization process 62 performsparsing, formatting, currency conversion, reporting, error checking, andother administrative functions for the response to the clearing andsettlement transaction prior to local storage in data storage device 54.The response to the clearing and settlement transaction is stored indata storage device 54 for reporting, account reconciliation, andgeneral record keeping and transaction visibility. The response to theclearing and settlement transaction is then routed through postauthorization process 60 where the response is formatted and anyadditional information added to the response for transfer to acquiringbank 24 and finally to merchant 20. Data transfer process 50 a sends theproperly formatted response to the clearing and settlement transactionto acquiring bank 24 or merchant 20.

Transaction processing center 30 is shown in FIG. 2 to includeauthorization processes 52 and 56 for processing purchase authorizationrequests as one type of message-based transaction and post authorizationprocesses 60 and 62 for processing clearing and settlement as one typeof file-based transaction. Authorization processes 52 and 56 are readilyexpandable to handle other types of data processing functions for othermessage-based transactions. Likewise, post authorization processes 60and 62 are readily expandable to handle other types of data processingfunctions for other file-based transactions.

Acquiring bank 24, issuing bank 14, and card association 34 may sendadministrative transactions back and forth through transactionprocessing center 30. The administrative transactions include reports,account reconciliation, refunds, charge-backs, inquiries, errormessages, and other administrative functions. A transaction determinedby data transfer process 50 a to be an administrative transaction can berouted to either authorization process 52 or to post authorizationprocess 60 depending on whether the administrative transaction ismessage-based or file-based. If the administrative transaction isfile-based, post authorization process 60, operating in its expandedrole, performs parsing and formatting of the administrative transactionfor local storage in data storage device 54. The administrativetransaction is stored in data storage device 54 for reporting, accountreconciliation, and general record keeping and transaction visibility.

In some cases, the administrative transaction is processed and sent backto the initiator. For one example, merchant 20 may request a report oftransactions incurred over some period of time which is generated bytransaction processing center 30 from the data stored in data storagedevice 54. The report is then sent back to merchant 20. In anotherexample of a message-based transaction which is processed throughauthorization processes 52 and 56, operating in their expanded role,acquiring bank 24 may request a current quote on currency exchange ratesbeing applied by transaction processing center 30. Again, the quote isgenerated and returned to acquiring bank 24.

Other times the administrative transaction must be forwarded to cardassociation 34. For example, cardholder 12 may return the merchandiseand merchant 20 must process a refund. In another example, acquiringbank 24 may detect an error during account reconciliation and request acorrection by card association 34. In such cases, the administrativetransaction is then routed through post authorization process 62 (or, ifmessage-based, through authorization process 56) where the request isformatted and any additional information added to the transaction asnecessary for transfer to card association 34. Data transfer process 50b sends the properly formatted administrative transaction to cardassociation 34 by way of communication link 36. In some cases, cardassociation 34 will handle the administrative transaction and, in othercases, card association 34 will forward the transaction to issuing bank14. Data transfer process 50 b may send the properly formattedadministrative transaction directly to issuing bank 14 by way ofcommunication link 44.

The reverse process holds true for responses from card association 34 orissuing bank 14 to the administrative transaction. Any transactiondetermined by data transfer process 50 b to be a response to anadministrative transaction is routed from data transfer process 50 b topost authorization process 62 (or authorization process 56). Postauthorization process 62 performs parsing, formatting, reporting, errorchecking, and other administrative functions for the response to theadministrative transaction prior to local storage in data storage device54. The response to the administrative transaction is stored in datastorage device 54 for reporting, account reconciliation, and generalrecord keeping and transaction visibility. The response to theadministrative transaction is then routed through post authorizationprocess 60 (or authorization process 52) where the response is formattedand any additional information added to the response for transfer toacquiring bank 24 and finally to merchant 20. Data transfer process 50 asends the properly formatted response to the administrative transactionto acquiring bank 24 or merchant 20.

A simplified representation of transaction processing center 30,including data transfer process 50 a and 50 b (collectively referred toas data transfer process 50), is shown in FIG. 3. Data source 70represents the incoming transactions and data from acquiring bank 24 ormerchant 20. For a message-based transaction, the type of message orcontents of the message or the mode of receipt determines the dataprocessing path through transaction processing center 30. For example, apurchase authorization request is a type of message that, because of itsneed for speedy processing, is handled by data transfer process 50 andtransaction processing center 30 in a time critical manner.Message-based data, such as the purchase authorization request, isrouted directly through the message-based data processing channel 72 oftransaction processing center 30. In the case of the purchaseauthorization request, the message-based data processing is immediatelyrouted through the open and active processing channel comprisingauthorization processes 52 and 56 and data storage device 54. Thepurchase authorization request information is rapidly processed withintransaction processing center 30, including any necessary parsing,formatting, currency conversion, reporting, error checking, datastorage, and other administrative functions.

Another example of message-based data processing is one that iscontrolled by the contents of the message such as a high priorityrequest for currency exchange rates. Since exchange rates may changerapidly in real-time, it is important to get a quick response to havethe most up-to-date and accurate information.

Message-based data processing channel 72 will rout the data beingprocessed to data destination 74 which may be card association 34 orissuing bank 14. Alternatively, data destination 74 can be acquiringbank 24 or merchant 20 if the message-based data processing is intendedto return to the initiator.

Another feature of data transfer process 50 is shown as file-based dataprocessing channel 76. If the data received from data source 70 is afile, then information contained in or attributes associated with thefile determine the processing path for the data in the file. Forexample, the file may contain a field that includes a file number. Thefile number will determine how the data in the file is to be processedthrough transaction processing center 30. Alternatively, the file maycontain a status field which will determine how the data in the file isto be processed through transaction processing center 30. Otherattributes of the file such as its file name or file extension or typeof file or date of creation or owner of the file or size of the file canbe used to determine how the data in the file is to be processed throughtransaction processing center 30. As further explained in FIG. 5 andassociated text, file-based data processing channel 76 receives a filefrom data source 70 and uses the file contents or attributes todetermine how the data in the file is to be processed throughtransaction processing center 30. The processed data is routed to datadestination 74.

The block diagram shown in FIG. 3 also applies to the reverse paththrough transaction processing center 30. In this case, data source 50represents card association 34 or issuing bank 14 and data destination74 represents acquiring bank 24 or merchant 20. Message-based datatransfers are processed and routed through message-based data processingchannel 72 of transaction processing center 30 based on the type orcontents of the message. File-based data transfers are processed androuted through file-based data processing channel 76 of transactionprocessing center 30 based on the contents or attributes of the file.

File-based data processing channel 76 is shown in FIG. 4. Data source 70and data destination 74 operate as described for FIG. 3. Files from datasource 70 are placed in incoming queue 80. The files can be placed inincoming queue by data source 70 loading the files into the queue whenavailable or by transaction processing center 30 checking the acquiringbank's server on a regular basis for transaction files available over afile transfer protocol (FTP) connection.

Incoming queue 80 contains a register or stack that can accommodate anysize file, within the data storage capacity of transaction processingcenter 30. Incoming queue 80 will contain one or more variable lengthfiles with associated start and stop locations for each file. Incomingqueue 80 will not necessarily know or understand the contents of thefiles. Each record or location in incoming queue 80 will be a file. Thefiles can be different sizes and types. A file can contain manydifferent data formats and have many specific functions. Some files maybe formatted according to one of the Visa file formats and thentransferred across communication link 32 or 28 over an FTP connection.Other files may be formatted according to one of the MasterCard fileformats and then transferred across communication link 32 or 28 over asecure socket layer (SSL) connection. A file can be an aggregation ofclearing and settlement transactions from acquiring bank 24 from manydifferent merchants. A clearing and settlement transaction file willcontain one or more individual transactions from one or more merchants.Each clearing and settlement transaction may contain credit card numberand other information related to the cardholder, identity andinformation related to the merchant, and the amount of the transaction.A file can contain a request for a report by acquiring bank 24 ormerchant 20. A file can also contain account reconciliation requests orerror corrections or refund transactions or administrative functions.

Data processing 82 represents one or more computer systems each with oneor more central processing units (CPUs) and each operating software tocontrol access to incoming queue 80. Each CPU can be operating adifferent process. Data processing 82 may be one or more servers localto transaction processing center 30 or it may be distributed to multiplecomputer systems with communication links to remote locations. Dataprocessing 82 sends and receives data from data storage device 54. Thesoftware operating on the one or more CPUs of data processing 82 willexamine incoming queue 80 and retrieve files for processing based on thecontents of the file or attributes of the file. For example, a first CPUin data processing 82 may query incoming queue 80 looking for files orgroups of files containing a certain file number or status. Files withfile number 100 may be clearing and settlement transactions which thefirst CPU will process accordingly. A second CPU in data processing 82may query incoming queue 80 looking for files or groups of files havingcertain file extensions or creation dates or other file attributes.Files with a file extension of say “.REQ” may be a request for a report.The second CPU processes the request for report and forwards the reportto the requester.

The CPUs of data processing 82 may be dedicated to processing certaintypes of files or they may share responsibilities. The CPUs of dataprocessing 82 which are idle, i.e. no primary files to process, can betemporarily re-assigned to processing other types of files on asecondary basis until some primary files need to be processed.Alternately, a prioritization scheme can be established such that eachCPU in data processing 82 in turn takes the next file or group of filesfrom incoming queue 80 based on the hierarchy of the prioritizationscheme. The CPUs will be fully utilized, each backing up the other formaximum data throughput.

Data processing 82 processes the data with each file according to itsprocedures and the contents of the file. In the above example of aclearing and settlement transaction file, data processing 82 parses thedata, perform currency conversions and error checking, adds information,reformats data as necessary, and performs other administrativefunctions. Data processing 82 will access data storage device 54 asnecessary to perform the data processing function. A process in dataprocessing 82 will then place the processed clearing and settlementtransaction data file in outgoing queue 84. In a similar manner for thereport request file, data processing 82 parses the data, retrieves datafrom data storage device 54, performs error checking, adds information,reformats data as necessary, and performs other administrativefunctions. Data processing 82 then places the processed report file inoutgoing queue 84.

The files in outgoing queue 84 may be transferred to data destination 74in a variety of ways. Transaction processing center 30 may send thefiles by way of one of its communication links to data destination 74.Alternatively, data destination 74 may initiate the transfer afterreceiving a notice of “file ready for transfer” instruction fromtransaction processing center 30. Data destination 74 may poll or queryoutgoing queue 84 at predetermined times or after a given time since theoriginal request file was placed in incoming queue 80. In otherembodiments, incoming queue 80 may physically reside at data source 70and outgoing queue 84 may physically reside at data destination 74. Inthis case, data processing 82 would access the files stored in incomingqueue 80 on data source 70's server. Data processing 82 then placesprocessed files in outgoing queue 84 on data destination 74's server.

FIG. 5 illustrates the steps involved in the operation of file-baseddata processing channel 76. Step 86 stores files from data source 70 inincoming queue 80. Step 88 selects a file from incoming queue 80 basedon the contents or attributes of the file. Step 90 processes data fromthe file through data processing 82. Step 92 stores the processed datafrom data processing 82 in an outgoing file. Step 94 stores the outgoingfile in outgoing queue 84 for access by data destination 74. Step 96provides first and second CPUs in data processing 82. Step 98 utilizesthe first CPU to select the file from incoming queue 80 based on a firstselection criteria. The first selection criteria may involve selectingfiles or groups of files containing a certain file number or status orother contents of the file. Step 102 utilizes the second CPU to selectthe file to be placed into outgoing queue 84 based on a second selectioncriteria. The second selection criteria may involve selecting files orgroups of files based on file name extension or other file attribute.

The operation of file-based data processing channel 76 simplifies thedata processing through transaction processing center 30. Incoming queue80 allows many types of files to be received and made available forprocessing without knowledge of the complexity, structure, or functionassociated with each type of file. Data processing 82 can operate withmultiple CPUs. Each CPU can be operating the same software which isconfigurable to query and access files in incoming queue 80 according tomany file processing protocols, e.g. dedicated file processingresponsibilities, or hierarchical processing based on someprioritization scheme, or any other file processing ordering. Therefore,the structural and functional knowledge associated with incoming queue80 is minimal. Data source 70 need not be concerned with interfacingwith data processing 82. Data source 70 need only place a data file inincoming queue 80. Incoming queue 80 may know it has one or more filesstored in its stack, but has no idea of the contents, structure, orfunction of the files. The CPUs of data processing 82 need not beconcerned with interfacing with a number of requesters and data sources.The CPUs interface only with incoming queue 80. The CPUs simply queryincoming queue 80 and access the file or group of files based onpredefined file processing protocols.

Likewise, outgoing queue 84 allows many types of files to be receivedand made available for processing without knowledge of the complexity,structure, or function associated with each type of file. Each CPU canbe operating the same software which is configurable to place processedfiles in outgoing queue 84 according to many file processing protocols,e.g. hierarchical processing based on some prioritization scheme or anyother file process ordering. Therefore, the structural and functionalknowledge associated with outgoing queue 84 is minimal. Data destination74 need not be concerned with interfacing with data processing 82. Datadestination 74 need only extract a data file from outgoing queue 84.Outgoing queue 84 may know that one or more files are stored in itsstack, but has no idea of the contents, structure, or function of thefiles. The CPUs of data processing 82 need not be concerned withinterfacing with a number of data destinations. The CPUs interface onlywith outgoing queue 84. The CPUs simply places processed files or groupsof files into outgoing queue 84 for access by data destination 74 basedon predefined file processing protocols.

Transaction processing center 30 provides significant flexibility as towhere resources are placed and who requests information and receivesdata. The incoming queue and outgoing queue simplify the interface andprocessing for data processing 82 as well as for data source 70 and datadestination 74.

The previous examples have discussed several types of data processingfunctions that are performed within transaction processing center 30.One of the data processing steps that is performed for purchaseauthorization requests and for clearing and settlement transactionwithin both data processing channels of transaction processing center 30is currency conversion. It is an obvious fact that cardholder 12 andmerchant 20 must deal in a world economy. There are many countries andmany different currencies throughout the world. The simple transaction Apreviously discussed involves at least two countries, i.e. US and UK,and their respective currencies. Transaction processing center 30provides flexibility as to how, when and by what exchange rate onecurrency is converted to another currency, and to whom fees are accessedfor the currency conversion.

Transaction processing center 30 receives timely currency exchange ratesfrom the financial markets. Currency exchange rate source 64 in FIG. 2represents one or more sources from the financial markets that set ormonitor currency exchange rates. The most current exchange rates aresent to currency exchange rate importer 66 which parses and formats thecurrency exchange rates for local storage in data storage device 54. Thecurrent exchange rates stored in data storage device 54 are used forcurrency conversion as described hereinafter.

FIG. 6 illustrates a basic block diagram of the logical flow of thetransaction with a number of currency conversions. Associated with theentities defined in FIG. 1 there are default settings which collectivelyare used in determining currency conversions. Transaction processingcenter 30 records these settings in its system for use in the currencyconversion process and assessment of fees associated therewith. Merchant20 has settings such as the default merchant funding currency whichdefine the currency in which he or she would like to be paid and thedefault request currency which is the currency of the merchandise pricequote, i.e. the amount of money that the merchant is expecting toreceive. Acquiring bank 24 has settings such as acceptable exchangerates. Card association 34 has a number of settings and rules by whichit operates. Issuing bank 14 has settings such as mark-up and mark-downfor the monetary values of the transactions.

Returning to the exemplary transaction A, when merchant 20 submits thepurchase authorization request directly, or through acquiring bank 24,to transaction processing center 30 there is a request currency 120associated with the purchase amount. Request currency 120 can be anycurrency denomination selectable by the merchant. Merchant 20 expects tobe paid a certain price or amount of money for the merchandise orservice being purchased by cardholder 12. Merchant 20 selects requestcurrency 120, or allows cardholder 12 to select request currency 120, asthe stated currency for the price or amount of money that the merchantis expecting to receive. In transaction A, given that merchant 20 is aUS-based business operating with a US acquiring bank 24, merchant 20'ssettings are most likely and assumed to be United States Dollars (USD)for request currency 120.

Since request currency 120 can be any currency denomination from anycountry, a transaction currency 122 is provided and used as a baselinecurrency for account reconciliation, generating statements, makingrefunds, reporting functions, funding merchant 20, or processing throughcard association 34 and issuer 14. Many financial institutions prefer todeal in certain well-established and stable currencies. Certain lessstable currencies are difficult and problematic to reconcile and reportagainst. Transaction currency 122 provides a basis, using awell-established currency as a baseline, to make adjustments followingaccount reconciliation and provide useful reporting functions. Fortransaction A with a US-based acquiring bank 24, transaction currency122 is USD. Therefore, since request currency 120 can be any currencydenomination, transaction currency 122 is a useful step to allow for theflexibility in selecting the request currency while providing a vehicleto convert the request currency to one of the more established andaccepted transaction currencies for reporting and reconciliation. Ifnecessary, transaction processing center 30 performs a currencyconversion from request currency 120 to transaction currency 122.Transaction processing center 30 may mark-up or mark-down on themonetary value of the transaction or otherwise access a fee for thecurrency conversion from request currency 120 to transaction currency122 based on the system settings. Since request currency 120 is USD andtransaction currency 122 is USD, there is no need for a currencyconversion.

At this point in the process, the purchase authorization request fortransaction A exists in transaction processing center 30 in the form oftransaction currency 122. Transaction processing center 30 will be ableto store and process data, generate reports, reconcile the accounts, andperform further administrative processing based on transaction currency122 independent of the form of request currency 120.

Transaction processing center 30 also provides clearing currency 124which is selectable in accordance with settings and the desires ofmerchant 20 and acquiring bank 24. Recall from the previous explanationthat card association 34 operates as an intermediary between acquiringbank 24 and issuing bank 14. Card association 34 will interact withissuing bank 14 in the currency defined by the bank identificationnumber (BIN) set up by issuing bank 14 with card association 34. For thepurposes of transaction A, assume the UK-based issuing bank 14 interactswith card association 34 in its native currency, Great Britain PoundsSterling (GBP).

If transaction processing center 30 were to send the purchaseauthorization request to card association 34 in the form of thetransaction currency, i.e. in USDs, then card association 34 wouldperform a currency conversion to GBP and access cardholder 12 a fee forthe conversion to the benefit of itself and/or issuing bank 14.Transaction processing center 30, and acquiring bank 24 and merchant 20,would have little if any control over the currency conversion made bycard association 34. Card association 34 would profit from any fees andproceeds of exchange rates, including any mark-up or mark-down in themonetary value of the transaction, involved in the currency conversionfrom USD to GBP. Alternately, issuing bank 14 may have a USD-based BINaccount with card association 34 and thereby receive USD from cardassociation 34. In that case, issuing bank 14 would profit from any feesand proceeds of exchange rates involved in the currency conversion fromUSD to its native currency GBP.

Transaction processing center 30 has the ability to simplify, or atleast shift the currency conversion procedure away from card association34 and issuing bank 14, for the benefit of anyone partnering withtransaction processing center 30, e.g. acquiring bank 24 and merchant20. The selectable nature of clearing currency 124 provides the featureof converting transaction currency 122 to clearing currency 124 to matchany other currency, including the native currency of issuing bank 14which in most cases is the same as the billing currency of cardholder12, prior to sending the transaction to card association 34. Transactionprocessing center 30 can establish multiple BINs with card association34 for clearing currency 124, one for each currency to be used asclearing currency 124.

For transaction A, with the knowledge of the system settings of issuingbank 14 and cardholder 12, the purchase authorization request isconverted from transaction currency 122 to clearing currency 124 whichmay be a different currency than transaction currency 122. That is, thepurchase authorization request is converted from USD to GBP bytransaction processing center 30 prior to transfer of the purchaseauthorization request to card association 34. Transaction processingcenter 30 selects the BIN associated with GBP when forwardingtransaction A to card association 34. When the purchase authorizationrequest is received by card association 34, the transaction will beviewed as a conventional transaction in the native currency of the BINfor issuing bank 14, i.e. in GBP, with no need for card association 34to perform any currency conversion or access any fees or make anymark-up or mark-down associated with a currency conversion. Transactionprocessing center 30 may mark-up or mark-down or otherwise access a feeon the monetary value of the transaction for a currency conversion fromtransaction currency 122 to clearing currency 124 based on the systemsettings related to merchant 20, issuing bank 14, acquiring bank 24, andcard association 34.

The currency conversion from transaction currency 122 to clearingcurrency 124 is performed by transaction processing center 30, which isacting on behalf of acquiring bank 24 and merchant 20, prior to thepurchase authorization request being transferred to card association 34.Merchant 20 is a customer of acquiring bank 24. Although transactionprocessing center 30 may access fees and mark-ups or mark-downs in themonetary value of the transaction based on system settings, transactionprocessing center 30 and acquiring bank 24 will both have a vestedinterest in providing maximum overall value in the transaction formerchant 20. By knowing the mark-up and mark-down of issuing bank 14from its settings, transaction processing center 30 can research theopen financial markets for better rates and provide the best service toits customers, i.e. acquiring bank 24 and merchant 20.

Prior to transfer to card association 34, the purchase authorizationrequest for transaction A exists in transaction processing center 30 inthe form of clearing currency 124. Transaction processing center 30 willtransfer the purchase authorization request to card association 34 withthe amount of the transaction stated in clearing currency 124. Theclearing currency 124 is selected to match the native currency ofissuing bank 14 and/or the billing currency of cardholder 12. In thesituation where the native currency of issuing bank 14 is different fromthe billing currency to cardholder 12, clearing currency 124 may beselected to match the billing currency to cardholder 12 to avoidadditional fees for currency conversion to the cardholder by the issuingbank or card association. When card association 34 receives thetransaction, the purchase will appear to be a conventional transactionin the native currency of issuing bank 14, or at least the same currencyas defined for the BIN which issuing bank 14 uses to conducttransactions with card association 34.

For transaction A, clearing currency 124 is GBP. Card association 34requests the purchase authorization request be approved by issuing bank14 in GBP. Issuing bank 14 checks cardholder 12's credit card accountbased on the amount of the purchase authorization request in GBP.Issuing bank 14 approves or disapproves the purchase authorizationrequest based on GBP and responds to card association 34. Cardassociation 34 forwards the response to transaction processing center 30with the approval or denial in settlement currency 126 as determined bythe acquiring BIN used by transaction processing center 30 for thetransaction. Settlement currency 126 is that currency which acquiringbank 24 wishes to receive from card association 34. Transactionprocessing center 30 can establish multiple BINs with card association34 for settlement currency 126, one for each currency to be used assettlement currency 126. As a final step, transaction processing center30 converts settlement currency 126 to merchant funding currency 128, ifnecessary. Merchant funding currency 128 is that currency in whichmerchant 20 wants to be paid. For transaction A, transaction processingcenter 30 has set settlement currency 126 and merchant funding currency128 both to USDs at the request of and for the benefit of acquiring bank24 and merchant 20. Therefore, there is no need for a currencyconversion. Merchant 20 receives the approved or denial to the purchaseauthorization request in USD.

Assume the transaction between cardholder 12 and merchant 20 is approvedand completed, the clearing and settlement of transaction A follows asimilar path through the institutions. Request currency 120 for clearingand settlement is USD. Transaction currency 122 for clearing andsettlement is USD. Transaction currency 122 is converted to GBP asclearing currency 124. The clearing and settlement transaction is sentto card association 34 in clearing currency 124, i.e. GBP. Cardassociation 34 views the clearing and settlement as a transaction inissuing bank 14's native or BIN currency. There is no currencyconversion, fees assessment, mark-up or mark-down by card association34, even though cardholder 12 and merchant 20 are dealing in differentcurrencies. Transaction processing center 30 has handled the currencyconversion on behalf of merchant 20. Card association 34 sends theclearing currency to issuing bank 14. Issuing bank 14 makes a wiretransfer or authorizes debit against its account at card association 34in the currency defined by the BIN used by issuing bank 14. Cardassociation 34 makes a wire transfer or credits the account oftransaction processing center 30 as defined by its BIN. Transactionprocessing center 30 receives monies for settlement of transaction A insettlement currency 126, which is USD in the present example.Transaction processing center 30 converts the monies to merchant fundingcurrency 128 if necessary and forwards the settlement to acquiring bank24 to credit to merchant 20's account or directly to merchant 20. Sincesettlement currency 126 and merchant funding currency 128 are the same,no currency conversion is necessary.

Now consider a transaction B where cardholder 12 is making a purchasefrom merchant 20 over the internet. Merchant 20 operates a website wheremerchandise is offered at any currency rate as selected by the customer.The customer pulls down a selection box on the computer screen andreceives a price quote in the selected request currency. In thisexample, cardholder 12 is a US citizen living in Japan and merchant 20is French company. Acquiring bank 24 is a French national bank. Issuingbank 14 is a US national bank. Cardholder 12 pays US-based issuing bank14 is USD. Cardholder 12 selects the price to be paid for themerchandise on merchant 20's website in Japanese Yen (JPY) to comparewith local competitive pricing. Merchant 20 wants to be paid in EuroDollars (EUR).

In FIG. 6, request currency 120 is JPY. Transaction currency 122 is EURfor the benefit of acquiring bank 24 and merchant 20. Transactionprocessing center 30 performs the currency conversion from requestcurrency 120 in JPY to transaction currency 122 in EUR. Clearingcurrency 124 is selected to be USD so the transaction appears to be inthe native currency of issuing bank 14 and cardholder 12. Transactionprocessing center 30 performs the currency conversion from transactioncurrency 122 in EUR to clearing currency 124 in USD. Card association 34receives a transaction in USD as the clearing currency. Issuing bank 14authorizes (or settles) the transaction in USD. Transaction processingcenter 30 elects to receive settlement currency 126 from cardassociation 34 in USD so that there is no currency conversion done bycard association 34. Transaction processing center 30 performs acurrency conversion from settlement currency 126 in USD to merchantfunding currency 128 in EUR.

Merchant 20 should not be assessed any currency conversion fees ormark-ups or mark-downs by card association 34 or issuing bank 14 becausecard association 34 and issuing bank 14 view the entire transaction asbased in its native currency of USD with no currency conversion needed.Request currency 120, transaction currency 122, and clearing currency124 allow transaction processing center 30 to control the currencyconversion on the transaction on the front end of the process andextract the most favorable exchange rate from the financial markets.Settlement currency 126 and merchant funding currency 128 allowstransaction processing center 30 to control the currency conversion onthe transaction on the back end of the process and extract the mostfavorable exchange rate from the financial markets.

The BINs set up with card association 34 allow transaction processingcenter 30 to control the points in the transaction where currencyconversion will occur. Transaction processing center 30 simply choosesthe desired BIN in which to transfer the transaction. The currencyconversion occurs by transaction processing center 30 placing a certainvalue of the transaction, taking into account foreign exchange rates,into the desired BIN. Transaction processing center 30 may mark-up ormark-down or otherwise access a fee on the monetary value of thetransaction for any currency conversion described above based on thesystem settings. Merchant 20 is expecting to receive the monetary valueof the transaction as quoted in request currency 120 in the form ofmerchant funding currency 128. As a result of the currency conversionsby transaction processing center 30, if merchant 20 receives more thanexpected based on request currency 120, then merchant 20 benefited fromthe currency conversions in the transaction. If merchant 20 receivesless than expected based on request currency 120, then merchant 20 willhave paid a fee from the transaction. The currency conversion process inFIGS. 6 and 7 allows transaction processing center 30 to control thepoints where currency conversion is performed and how and to whom feesare accessed for the currency conversions.

Acquiring bank 24 and merchant 20 are no longer dependent on cardassociation 34 for the clearing or settlement currency conversions.Instead, the conversion from transaction currency 122 to clearingcurrency 124 and the conversion from settlement currency 126 andmerchant funding currency 128 can be managed and handled by transactionprocessing center 30 on behalf of merchant 20 and acquiring bank 24 andfor the benefit of its partners.

FIG. 7 illustrates the steps involved in the operation of currencyconversion process. Step 140 receives the credit card transaction frommerchant 20 in request currency 120 which is different from transactioncurrency 122. Step 142 converts request currency 120 to transactioncurrency 122. Step 144 receives a credit card transaction initiated bymerchant 20 having a monetary value stated in transaction currency 122as a baseline value. Step 146 converts transaction currency 122 toclearing currency 124 which is selectable to match the native currencyof issuing bank 14. Step 148 forwards the credit card transaction tocard association 34 and issuing bank 14 with the monetary value of thecredit card transaction in clearing currency 124. Step 150 selectssettlement currency 126 to be received from card association 34. Step152 converts settlement currency 126 to merchant funding currency 128.

An advantage of having the currency conversion process as shown in FIGS.6 and 7 is maximum flexibility to configure transaction processingsystem 10 to operate in any manner as requested by acquiring bank 24, iftransaction processing center 30 is working for the acquiring bank. Thecurrency conversion can be performed by transaction processing center30, as illustrated in transaction A, where transaction currency 122 inUSD is converted to clearing currency 124 in GBP so that cardassociation 34 received the transaction in the native currency ofissuing bank 14. If acquiring bank 24 or merchant so chooses, thecurrency conversion can be left to card association 34 by leavingclearing currency 124 in USD. The same holds true for transaction B. Onthe settlement side of transaction B, the currency conversion fromissuing bank 14 to the native currency of acquiring bank 24 can behandled by transaction processing center 30 by making clearing currency124 and settlement currency 126 the same currency. Card association 34would not perform any currency conversion. The currency conversion canbe left to card association 34 by leaving settlement currency 124 thesame as merchant funding currency 128. By selecting the currencyconversion points 120-128, transaction processing center 30 can controlthe currency conversion process for the entire transaction.

To handle the large number and variety of transactions processingthrough transaction processing system 10, transaction processing center30 includes a scheduler and event processor 160 as shown in FIG. 8.Scheduler 160 works in combination with data processing 82 in FIG. 4 toprovide efficient utilization of the resources of transaction processingcenter 30. Scheduler 160 is a computer program or operating systemexecuting on a server or a distributed computer system. The computersystem running scheduler 160 includes one or more CPUs, electronicmemory, hard disk drive, and interfaces to communicate with peripherals.Scheduler 160 uses database 162 residing on a hard disk drive. Database162 is configurable with timing, instructions, and other informationused by servers 164, 166, and 168 which run data processing 82. Database162 includes information such as process identifier, execution interval,polling interval, concurrency requirements, dependencies, and errorchecks.

Scheduler 160 schedules various processes or client applications to runon servers 164-168 and keeps track of the individual runs or executions.Assume scheduler 160 is configured to run a clearing and settlement as aprocess every 60 minutes. Database 162 would have an entry for a processidentifier, say process number 200, for the clearing and settlementprocess. The time interval is 60 minutes, although the time interval canbe any length of time. The polling interval is set to 10 minutes. Theclearing and settlement process would typically not have any concurrencyrequirements because more than one clearing and settlement process couldpotentially run at one time. The clearing and settlement process mayhave dependencies that would be recorded in the entry for process number200 in database 162.

Server 164 is a computer system operating under the control of a CPU.Server 164 operates a computer program which is enabled or configured torun one or more predefined processes. When server 164 comes on-line, thesoftware processes configured to run on server 164 each in turn query orcheck in with scheduler 160, identify the process (e.g. process number200), and requests a task or assignment. A first process running onserver 164 will query or check in with scheduler 160 and request a taskaccording to its configuration. If there is such a task to be performed,scheduler 160 provides execution instructions to the first process. Ifthere are no such tasks for the first process, scheduler 160 gives thefirst process its next time to check in. A second process configured torun on server 164 will check in with scheduler 160 and request a taskaccording to its configuration. If there is such a task to be performed,scheduler 160 provides execution instructions to the second process. Ifthere are no such tasks for the second process, scheduler 160 gives thesecond process its next time to check in.

Assume scheduler 160 gives the first process configured to run on server164 the task of running the clearing and settlement process andschedules the execution time in 60 minutes. Scheduler 160 also informsserver 164 that there are no concurrency requirements or no dependenciesand that it should poll or check back with scheduler 160 every 10minutes (poll interval) until execution time. The first process onserver 164 keeps track of the time and polls scheduler 160 every 10minutes to see if any instructions have changed. If the situationchanges, such as a event on transaction processing center 30 or anupdate to database 162, then the first process on server 164 may receiverevised instructions from scheduler 160 at one of the polling times.

At the appointed execution time, the first process on server 164 queriesor checks in with scheduler 160 one last time before executing processnumber 200. If all is good to go, server 164 begins executing processnumber 200. Server 164 starts executing the clearing and settlementprocess by extracting one or more files from incoming queue 80 that havethe file number associated with clearing and settlement. The file isparsed and the data is processed. During the execution of the clearingand settlement process, server 164 further records or logs in variousinformation and events related to execution of the clearing andsettlement process into database 162. For example, server 164 recordsthe start time, completion time, and completion of various status checkpoints during the execution of the clearing and settlement process intodatabase 162. The status check points can be used for error correctionand restart if the process does not complete successfully. When theclearing and settlement process is complete, then server 164 notifiesscheduler 160 that the task is complete. Scheduler 160 then assignsserver 164 its next task of another clearing and settlement process tobe run in another 60 minutes with instructions to poll every 10 minutes.

In another embodiment, server 164 may contain a number of processes.Server 164 will check in with scheduler 160 and see want needs to bedone and then activate the appropriate process. In addition to clearingand settlement, if server 164 were enabled to handle generating certainreports, say process number 300, then scheduler 160 would be able togive server 164 either process number 200 or process number 300 for itsnext assignment. Thus, when a process checks in for work, scheduler 160will assign a task based on the abilities of the process and thepriority of the work to be done.

Scheduler 160 tracks and handles concurrency constraints. Some processescan run concurrently and others cannot. If a process is concurrencyconstrained, i.e. it must execute by itself and finish before anotherlike or related process can start, then scheduler 160 will hold off suchlike or related processes until the concurrency constrained processfinishes. For example, a first account reconciliation may be concurrencyconstrained so that a second account reconciliation cannot run until thefirst account reconciliation is finished. Scheduler 160 may allowcertain processes to operate concurrently. For example, first and secondreports which are merely accessing data, possibly the same data, can berun simultaneously.

Scheduler 160 can also track and handle dependency constraints. Someprocesses may be required to wait until another process finishes. Forexample, the clearing and settlement process may have to wait until anaudit is finished so the underlying data does not change during theaudit. Alternately, an account reconciliation may have to wait for aclearing and settlement to run so that transaction processing center 30has the latest data.

At times a process might fail to complete. Scheduler 160 waits toreceive a report from server 164 that the assigned task was successfullycompleted. If there is a run problem, then server 164 will record andreport the last known good check point or event. Scheduler 160 analyzeswhat has been done and what still needs to be done so the failed processcan be restarted at the last known good check point without repeatingunnecessary and duplicative steps in the process that might lead toother errors.

As the work load increases, scheduler 160 supports adding more processresources without the need to reconfigure transaction processing center30. Server 166 is a computer system running a computer program under thecontrol of a CPU. Server 168 is also a computer system running acomputer program under the control of a CPU. Servers 164, 166, and 168may be local or remote servers in a distributed system. Servers 164-168are configured to run one or more processes on transaction processingcenter 30. Server 164 may be configured to execute a first type ofprocess such as clearing and settlement. Server 166 may be configured toexecute the first type of process and/or a second type of process suchas a report. Server 168 may be configured to execute yet another type ofprocess.

Assume server 166 comes on-line with a configuration that handlesprocess number 200 and process number 300. Further assume server 168comes on-line with a configuration that handles only process number 300.Servers 166 and 168 communicate with scheduler 160. Scheduler 160 looksin database 162 to see what are the next priority processes for whichservers 166 and 168 are configured to run. Tasks are assigned toprocesses on servers 166 and 168 accordingly with the associatedexecution time and polling interval.

Assume that at time t₀ server 164 queries or checks in with scheduler160 and is assigned process number 200 in 60 minutes, e.g. 8 pm. At timet₀+5 minutes, server 166 queries or checks in with scheduler 160 and isassigned the next process number 200 at 9 pm. At time t₀+10 minutes,server 168 queries or checks in with scheduler 160 and is assignedprocess number 300. At 8 pm, server 164 queries scheduler 160, receivesfinal okay to run, executes the assigned process and completes at 8:20pm. Server 164 checks in with scheduler 160 to let it know that theprocess number 200 at 8 pm was successfully completed and that server164 is ready for the next task. Scheduler 160 has already assigned the 9pm time slot for clearing and settlement to server 166. However, thereare a number of reports pending on transaction processing center 30.Scheduler 160 assigns server 164 to execute a process number 300 to runat 8:30 pm in order to get a few reports done since the clearing andsettlement is in taken care of for time being.

Since scheduler 160 hands out tasks as each server 164-168 checks in,there is no need to reconfigure database 162. When server 164 isoperating by itself, it had 100% of the work load. When server 166 comeson-line, it shares the load equally with server 164. The configuredprocesses on servers 164 and 166 have the same capability and, on theaverage, scheduler 160 will use each the same as they query for tasks.When server 168 comes on-line, it will share the load as well but may benot equally with servers 164 and 16.6 because server 168 can only doreports. Nonetheless, the processing capacity of transaction processingcenter 30 is scalable by adding new process resources and servers. Eachnew process shares the work load depending on the tasks to be preformedand the capabilities of the processes. Again, there is no need toreconfigure database 162 with each new process added to transactionprocessing center 30 because scheduler 160 uses the resources on handand distributes the work according to its capability as each processchecks in.

FIG. 9 illustrates the steps involved in the operation of scheduler 160.Step 170 provides servers 164, 166, and 168 each having one or moreconfigured processes. Step 172 initiates first query to scheduler 160for an execution instruction. Step 174 initiates second query toscheduler 160 prior to execution of the process to confirm the executioninstruction. Step 176 executes the process after receiving confirmationof the execution instruction. Step 178 configures server 164 to executea first type of process. Step 180 configures server 168 to execute asecond type of process.

Although the present invention has been described with respect topreferred embodiments, any person skilled in the art will recognize thatchanges be made in form and detail, and equivalents may be substitutedfor elements of the invention without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention. Many modifications may be made to adapt to aparticular situation or material to the teaching of the inventionwithout departing from the essential scope of the invention. Therefore,it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particularembodiments disclosed for carrying out this invention, but that theinvention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of theappended claims.

1. A system for processing financial transactions between first andsecond parties, comprising: a first financial institution having anelectronic communication link for providing access to a creditinstrument for the first party; a second financial institution having anelectronic communication link for acquiring transactions from the secondparty; an association having an electronic communication link to thefirst financial institution for providing data processing services; anda transaction processing center operating with electronic communicationlinks between the second financial institution and the association,wherein the transaction processing center includes: (a) a dataseparation processor receiving and separating the transactions intohigh-throughput purchase transactions and low-throughput batchtransactions, the data separation processor separating thehigh-throughput purchase transactions from the low-throughput batchtransactions by message content or file attribute associated with thehigh-throughput purchase transactions and the low-throughput batchtransactions, the data separation processor further formatting thehigh-throughput purchase transactions and the low-throughput batchtransactions for transmission through the transaction processing center,(b) a first data processing channel coupled to a first output of thedata separation processor and dedicated to transmitting thehigh-throughput purchase transactions within the system, the first dataprocessing channel being continuously open and active forhigh-throughput processing, and (c) a second data processing channel,separate from the first data processing channel, coupled to a secondoutput of the data separation processor and dedicated to transmittingthe low-throughput batch transactions within the system with a lowersystem priority than the high-throughput purchase transactions, thesecond data processing channel including an incoming queue for receivingthe low-throughput batch transactions, a data processor for reading thelow-throughput batch transactions from the incoming queue and placingthe low-throughput batch transactions in local storage, and an outgoingqueue for receiving the low-throughput batch transactions from the localstorage and transmitting the low-throughput batch transactions throughthe second output of the data separation processor.
 2. The system ofclaim 1 further including a data storage device for storing thehigh-throughput purchase transactions and the low-throughput batchtransactions.
 3. The system of claim 2 wherein one of thehigh-throughput purchase transactions is an authorization request. 4.The system of claim 3 wherein the first data processing channelincludes: a first authorization process receiving the authorizationrequest and routing the processed authorization request to the datastorage device; and a second authorization process receiving theprocessed authorization request from the data storage device and routingthe processed authorization request to an output of the system.
 5. Thesystem of claim 2 wherein one of the low-throughput batch transactionsis a clearing and settlement transaction.
 6. The system of claim 5wherein the second data processing channel includes: a clearing processreceiving the clearing and settlement transaction and routing theprocessed clearing and settlement transaction to the data storagedevice; and a settlement process receiving the processed clearing andsettlement transaction from the data storage device and routing theprocessed clearing and settlement transaction to an output of thesystem.
 7. A credit card processing system, comprising a data processingcenter having a communication link with a merchant to receive creditcard transactions initiated by the merchant, wherein the data processingcenter includes: (a) a data separation processor receiving andseparating the credit card transactions into high-throughput purchasetransactions and low-throughput batch transactions by message content orfile attribute associated with the high-throughput purchase transactionsand the low-throughput batch transactions; (b) a first data processingchannel coupled to a first output of the data separation processor fortransmitting the high-throughput purchase transactions within the creditcard processing system, the first data processing channel beingcontinuously open and active for high-throughput processing; and (c) asecond data processing channel, separate from the first data processingchannel, coupled to a second output of the data separation processor fortransmitting the low-throughput batch transactions within the systemwith a lower system priority than the high-throughput purchasetransactions, the second data processing channel including an incomingqueue for receiving the low-throughput batch transactions, a dataprocessor for reading the low-throughput batch transactions from theincoming queue and placing the low-throughput batch transactions inlocal storage, and an outgoing queue for receiving the low-throughputbatch transactions from the local storage and transmitting thelow-throughput batch transactions through the second output of the dataseparation processor.
 8. The credit card processing system of claim 7further including a data storage device for storing the high-throughputpurchase transactions and the low-throughput batch transactions.
 9. Thecredit card processing system of claim 8 wherein one of thehigh-throughput purchase transactions is an authorization request. 10.The credit card processing system of claim 9 wherein the first dataprocessing channel includes: a first authorization process receiving theauthorization request and routing the processed authorization request tothe data storage device; and a second authorization process receivingthe processed authorization request from the data storage device androuting the processed authorization request to an output of the system.11. The credit card processing system of claim 8 wherein one of thelow-throughput batch transactions is a clearing and settlementtransaction.
 12. The credit card processing system of claim 11 whereinthe second data processing channel includes: a clearing processreceiving the clearing and settlement transaction and routing theprocessed clearing and settlement transaction to the data storagedevice; and a settlement process receiving the processed clearing andsettlement transaction from the data storage device and routing theprocessed clearing and settlement transaction to an output of thesystem.
 13. A method of processing a data transaction, comprising:receiving high-throughput transactions and low-throughput transactions;selectively routing the high-throughput transactions through a firstdata processing channel by analyzing message content or file attributeassociated with the high-throughput purchase transactions, the firstdata processing channel being continuously open and active forhigh-throughput processing; selectively routing the low-throughputtransactions through a second data processing channel with a lowerpriority than the high-throughput transaction by analyzing messagecontent or file attribute associated with the low-throughput purchasetransactions, the second data processing channel being separate from thefirst data processing channel; and locally storing the low-throughputtransactions in a data storage device within the second data processingchannel.
 14. The method of claim 13 wherein one of the high-throughputtransactions is an authorization request.
 15. The method of claim 14wherein the step of providing a first data processing channel includes:providing a first authorization process for receiving the authorizationrequest and routing the processed authorization request to the datastorage device; and providing a second authorization process forreceiving the processed authorization request from the data storagedevice and routing the processed authorization request to an output ofthe system.
 16. The method of claim 13 wherein one of the low-throughputtransactions is a clearing and settlement transaction.
 17. The method ofclaim 16 wherein the step of providing a second data processing channelincludes: providing a clearing process for receiving the clearing andsettlement transaction and routing the processed clearing and settlementtransaction to the data storage device; and providing a settlementprocess for receiving the processed clearing and settlement transactionfrom the data storage device and routing the processed clearing andsettlement transaction to an output of the system.
 18. The method ofclaim 13 wherein the data transaction is a credit card transaction.